Longtime Activant Prism User, 2009 Jobber News 'Jobber of the Year' Featured in New Web Video
Canada's Spark Auto Electric has Increased Sales, Reduced Costs Over Past 6 Years; Video at JobberNews.com Highlights Company's Success
LIVERMORE, CA, December 21, 2009 – Spark Auto Electric, a longtime Activant Solutions customer based in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, and winner of the 2009 Jobber News magazine “Jobber of the Year” Award, is featured in a new video available online at www.jobbernews.com.
Founded in 1967 as a starter and alternator rebuilder, Spark Auto Electric became a full-service auto parts jobber in 1989. The company, which utilizes the Activant Prism™ business management system and Activant® PartExpert® electronic catalogue, has increased its sales over the past six years in spite of a challenging market. In addition, Spark Auto Electric has been able to reduce its operating costs by relying on a variety of “bolt-on” solutions integrated with its Activant Prism platform. In fact, the single-location business has been the first distributor in its market to implement a number of solutions designed to enhance business efficiency and profitability.
“Our growth strategy is based on offering a broader inventory, excellent coverage, faster delivery and better purchasing practices,” said Spark Auto Electric co-owner Nick Bintas.
Spark Auto Electric employs 50-plus people at its 20,000-square-foot facility in Toronto. An ACDelco distributor and a shareholder of Canada's Bestbuy distribution network, the company services virtually the entire Toronto East metropolitan area with a staff of 10 highly experienced counter professionals and a fleet of more than 25 delivery vehicles. The company was among the first Canadian jobbers to implement RF bar code scanning – a timesaving solution integrated with the Activant Prism platform – and recently invested in the Activant Document Imaging™ and GPS-based Activant Dispatch and Delivery System™ solutions.
Spark Auto's leadership in adopting new technologies is no surprise, given that the company was one of Canada's first aftermarket businesses to implement Activant's early-generation Series 12 business management platform and eCatalogue solution, in the mid-1980s. To convince his longtime counter professionals that eCatalogues were faster than traditional paper volumes, Bintas encouraged employees to run side-by-side tests after store hours. Employees using the Activant eCatalogue consistently finished their lookups in half the time as those using paper. Spark Auto recently upgraded to the latest generation of the Activant eCatalogue – the innovative new LaserCat® 3 eCat.
To celebrate Spark Auto's leadership in eCatalogue adoption, and in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of its popular electronic catalogue, Activant presented the company with a commemorative plaque during the 2009 AAPEX Show in Las Vegas.
Bintas and Spark Auto also were among the first Canadian businesses to establish an Activant-enabled electronic store for online parts sales.
“Winning the Jobber News 'Jobber of the Year' Award shows that Spark Auto's success has not gone unnoticed,” said Tom Aliotti, senior vice president, automotive, Activant Solutions. “They are proof that a single-location jobber can significantly enhance its competitive position through smart technology investments that impact customer service and satisfaction. The Bintas family has embraced technology – along with strong supplier relationships – as a key to sales and margin growth. We are very proud to be their primary technology provider.”
“Activant has been a great business partner,” Bintas said. “We have taken on quite a few of their solutions and benefited throughout the years, and their technologies are absolutely aligned with our focus on customer service.”
About Activant Solutions
Activant Solutions Inc. is a leading technology provider of business management solutions serving distributors and SMB retailers. Activant provides customers with industry-specific software, professional services, content, supply chain connectivity, and analytics.
Activant Solutions Inc. is a leading technology provider of business management solutions serving small and medium-sized distributors and specialty retailers. Activant provides customers with industry-specific software, professional services, content, supply chain connectivity, and analytics. Over 30,000 customer locations use Activant to manage their day-to-day operations, in both USA and Canada. Activant's systems are designed to help customers increase sales, boost productivity, operate more cost-efficiently, improve inventory turns and enhance trading partner relationships. Headquartered in Livermore, California, Activant has operations in Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. For more information, please visit www.activant.com.
###
This announcement relating to Activant may contain statements that are forward looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, such as statements concerning trends, future technology or products, or Activant's execution. These statements are based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties which could materially affect the company's results, including, without limitation, market demand for products and technology, the company's ability to meet that market demand, the integration of Activant's technology and products with technology and products supplied by others, the integration of Activant's products into the businesses of its customers, customer acceptance of Activant's products, and the retention and deployment of skilled Activant service providers. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update or publicly revise any of the forward-looking statements. Please refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2009 filed with the Securities Exchange Commission on December 14, 2009, which can be found through the Activant investor relations website at www.activant.com/company/investors, for a full discussion of the risks and other factors.
Note: Activant, PartExpert, LaserCat and the Activant stylized logo design are registered trademarks, and Activant Prism, Activant Document Imaging and Activant Dispatch and Delivery System are trademarks, of Activant Solutions Inc. .
Press Contact:
Drew Shippy
Pinnacle Communication Group
Tel: 330.688.3500 drew@pinnmedia.com
Information
Corporate and General PR
Jane Gideon
Incendio International jane@incendiopr.com
(415) 293-8259
Automotive
Drew Shippy
Pinnacle Communication Group, Inc. drew@pinnmedia.com
(330) 688-3500